The CMJ08 Music Marathon Rocked!

I hope the current recession hasn't messed up anyone's production plans! It's crazy out there! But, that's why this blog is here, to bolster your spirits and give you hope in an economy that has recently shut down the seemingly economically impervious-- Et tu, Circuit City!?!

Luckily, low and no budget videographers aren't hurting so much, since we didn't have much "cash money" to begin with, right?:)
But seriously, I'm not here to speak on the economy or Obama's truly inspiring and hopeful election to the Presidency-- Yes We Can!! I'm here to speak on low and no budget music video production in NYC.

The CMJ 2008 Music Marathon

That said, my participation in the recent CMJ Music Marathon 2008 was great! For a week, CMJ took over the NYU campus (talk about not needing to keep within a budget, have you been inside the multi million dollar Kimmel Center??), downtown Manhattan and Williamsburg. It was awesome-- something like 450 bands, mostly simultaneously, performing all over the City!The CMJ08 Panel on which I spoke, was entitled "Cost Effective Music Video Insurgence" and it went well! The music industry likes of Mike Marco, John Warden, Kevin Custer and Lou Smith sat with me and spoke to an early morning crowd. We covered how music video production has changed in the last 30 years. For example, it used to cost at least 500K to shoot a music video! How the world has changed! Now a music video is shot for a fraction of that cost and used as one of the more powerful promotions for a band!

I also want to mention that CMJ Panel Director Jimmy Landry organized all the panel discussions for the festival and did a fantastic job. Make sure to check out his label Audiostrike! Melissa Berlin also did a great job assisting Mr. Landry and coordinating all the panels!

Why Was CMJ So Cool?

The reason it was such a cool marathon, was that all these musicians, artists, producers and industry "heavy hitters" came together and talked. And the major word on the music industry is "what is going on in the music industry?"

I think Kevin Custer said it best when he said, "It's the Wild West out there." So, what that means for us low and no budget video artists is that now is the perfect time to get out there and shoot our projects! A free single these days, seems to be the way to drive band promotion and ticket sales. Oh, that and a good music video!

Next up, I'll finish part 2 of the Equipment list!
Keep Rockin'!
Gabriel Barbaro

Equipment Part 1: Cameras, Lights and a Tripod

Here's Part 1 of my video equipment recommendations for all the Videographers sloshing through the muddy alleyways of the NYC (Music) Video production scene. Borrow, buy, research and rent these pieces and... GEAR UP!!!

Cameras
The Canon HV20 (you can also check out the Canon Vixia HV30, although it's apprently not as cool) is causing all kinds of commotion with it's small CMOS sensor and awesome footage (which apparently can stand up to the visuals from 3 CCD cameras)! This line of small Canon HDV cameras are crazy! The visuals are gorgeous (see Solomon Chase's HV20 footage-- he apparently shot it with his Canon HV20 and then uploaded it) and since you'll probably be showing it on a small screen, I don't think it's a problem that it doesn't have 3 CCD (Charged Coupled Devices) chips.

Of course, in general, you want a 3 CCD chip video camera when you shoot for broadcast and film, but I've edited footage that was shot in India on a Canon HV10 (the little brother of the HV20 and HV30) and it knocked my low/no budget socks right off! Keep in mind that this is a camera for those in the market for a sub $1000 camera that will produce beautiful true HD footage! Honestly, I'm going to buy the HV20 as soon as my "low budget" allows!

Lights
The Smith Victor KT1000 Light Kit at Adorama is next on my list. I'm actually going to be buying this model or one that has three units very soon-- the price is right! As many of you already know, lights can be extremely expensive, so I'm pretty psyched. They should work on a small video shoot just fine and include several umbrella reflectors to shed diffuse light on your subjects.

Headphones
Good headphones that don't break are important. The Sony MDR-V6 are durable and not only do I own a pair, but I had them recommended to me by an NYU film student (apparently $160,000 to attend NYU, by the way). He was so right on, that I recommended them to a company I freelance for and they loved them too! Built to last, the head brace has a sturdy metal band in it (not plastic) and they can fold up into the included pouch. All for the price of around $80 dollars!

Tripod
The last thing you'll need is a Tripod. The Velbon PH-368 will get the job done, if you have a small camera. Obviously, the bigger and sturdier the tripod, the better your shots will be, but this puppy is easy to transport and has lasted me 6 years! I've used it a lot with my Canon GL-1 and it's reliable. It also comes with a carrying case which is very useful when you're transporting gear.

So that's it for Part 1 of my equipment list. If any of you have further suggestions, please email me and I can add them. See you back here in about a week for Part 2: Sound! Good luck out there!

UPDATE: I just read about the Panasonic HDC-SD100 & the HDC-HS100 cameras which look really great for around $1,200 and $1,400, respectively. They have 3 CMOS sensors in them- talk about awesome! I bet they can compete with some 3 CCD cameras! Check them out!

What should I do when I know I want to shoot a no/low budget video?

For those of you contemplating a video production, who are also feeling the pinch of our “recovering” economy, I do have two pointers. Firstly, read up on shooting for small format screens (even if you just read a couple tips online) and, secondly, get good cheap equipment by renting, borrowing, or buying it.

Here's what I mean. With all the crazy new-fangled mobile devices and websites all over the place with their tiny screens (case in point: YouTube, iPhone, etc.) it's important to read up on some simple guidelines. My guess is that 100% of the people reading this are going to want to showcase their videos online so this is worth thinking about. Here are several tips I learned from reading around: shoot steady shots and use lots of close ups. These two tips will be great for small screen viewing. Your viewer can watch without puking from seasickness and can actually connect with the actors (because they'll be able to see their faces). Also, remember that using lights (so that your shots are well illuminated) is another thing which will set you apart from the billions of poorly lit videos out there. So, before you shoot, make sure to do some reading!

My other main bit of advice is to research good cheap equipment and then rent, borrow or buy it. The best way to find out about solid gear is to ask film and tech-savvy friends and colleagues for advice. You can also check out product reviews on Cnet, B&H, Adorama and JR. Next, cross-reference what you've found against user reviews on the sites I just mentioned and on Amazon and online message boards (just google the product name and look for discussion forums). Another thing I like to do, is go into B&H for a chat with their knowledgeable staff (I know from personal experience that they will talk to you, even if you have no money). As for seeking advice at Adorama, I could write two pages about their "automated" customer service tickets, but I would send myself into a fitful rage. Needless to say, Adorama is best dealt with online and briefly when purchasing what you know you want-- they have very low prices. But I digress. I find that these resources will really help you out in your search and you'll quickly find that you can cobble together good no/low budget gear!

Okay, next up, I'll do a write-up of equipment I'd suggest you all check out. Stay tuned!

First words on the subject

First of all, thanks for visiting!

This past week I was lucky enough to be selected as a panelist for the 28th Annual CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival! The panel is entitled “Cost Effective Music Video Insurgence” and will be a discussion on how to make a good music video for a lot cheaper than the typical 100K extrava-ganja. Jimmy Landry of Audiostrike Records invited me- he's the director of panel discussions at the CMJ Music Marathon.

Partly because of this good news, I thought it would be a good time to start a blog about my professional/indie experience directing, shooting and editing no and low budget music videos and videos in NYC and LA. I've shot projects in both cities and feel that I can share some insight with anyone interested enough find this blog!

Keep an eye out for my weekly (or bi-monthly) updates! Thanks!